Fashion

Is shopping essentially a sport?

It might not quite be Olympic worthy, but whilst most guys are glued to the box watching Soccer Saturday, lots of us girls are taking part in another sport-like activity without us even knowing – shopping! This might sound ridiculous but there’s some pretty strong evidence to support this. Honest…

Any die-hard shopper will know that when you’re after that perfect Saturday night dress, you’re in it for the long haul. This isn’t a dash in and out trip, but a serious mission. Endurance is essential, along with patience if you’re the accompanying a friend who insists they’re not leaving the shopping centre until they’ve bagged the perfect number. 9 times out of 10, you’ll end up back in the same shop you started in, buying the same dress you tried on first, but traipsing around every other shop, just to seek out other potentials, is essential.

We might not be running round the shops, but a good 3-5 hours (plus if you’re really going for it) is a nice workout for the legs and a real calorie burner. Especially during the Christmas season, chances are you’ve probably found yourself wondering why they ever call it retail ‘therapy’, and have pulled out some netball-style dodging moves at some point. Then there’s all the yoga-esque moves from getting dressed and undressed in the changing rooms that always seem to be not too dissimilar to a sweltering sauna – but Bikram yoga, this is not.

Then there’s the strength. Payday shopping trips are guaranteed to leave you ending up with bags galore balanced on your arms, and if you’re on a shoe trip Carrie Bradshaw would be envious of, you’re bound to be carrying quite a bit of weight on each.

Next up is tactics – these come into play most when the sales take place. Yes the shops usually look a shambles, but with the right planning and skills you can grab that bargain Topshop skirt before anyone else. Take your team mates (aka friends), devise your route and if in doubt do a Monica from Friends a la the wedding dress episode. Whistles included.

Like many sports, there’s also rounds. First up, parking. Finding a space on a Saturday is often more challenging than finding the perfect dress when you finally do make it into the shops. Then you’ve got the shopping, queuing buying and parking ticket rounds to follow. But it’s all worth it in the end when you’re left with your trophy – it might not be a gold medal but that new LBD or pair of killer heels isn’t exactly the world’s worst consolation prize.

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